[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 15, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2879-S2880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     54TH ANNIVERSARY OF HEAD START

  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to celebrate 
the 54th anniversary of Head Start and the 25th birthday of Early Head 
Start.
  Head Start and Early Head Start provide essential early childhood 
education services to almost 6,000 low-income children and families in 
Connecticut. In addition, across the 38 Connecticut centers, over 7,000 
children have been able to access healthcare services, 2,000 families 
have gotten help through crisis intervention programs, and over 800 
parents advanced their own education. For these families and

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thousands of others across the country, Head Start is a lifeline for 
struggling families and a stepping stone out of poverty.
  Fifty-four years since its founding, the work of Head Start and Early 
Head Start remains paramount. Children in poverty are more than twice 
as likely to suffer traumatic childhood experiences such as abuse, 
neglect, homelessness, and parental substance abuse. Exposure to these 
kinds of trauma results in greater likelihood of chronic disease, 
mental illness, and substance use disorders, as well as decreased 
likelihood of high school graduation and increased likelihood of 
involvement with the juvenile justice system. We know that children 
having access to safe and stable environments mitigates these effects 
and that Head Start is on the frontline of providing children with 
nurturing relationships.
  This Saturday, not only do we celebrate the Head Start program 
reaching another milestone, but we celebrate the hundreds of thousands 
of dedicated Head Start staff and educators who work hard every day to 
support and teach the next generation.

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